Review Summary: Guests On Their Own Album
When the tracklist for
Metal Forth was revealed, showing that two-thirds of the album would feature collaborations, many fans were understandably apprehensive. The main concern was whether the band could preserve their distinct identity on a record that, at first glance, made them seem like supporting players on their own album. Even on a fan-favorite track like “Ratatata (with Electric Callboy),” the signature Babymetal formula was noticeably diluted to make room for Electric Callboy’s style. As a one-off, that compromise worked wonderfully, reaching millions of listens in a matter of weeks. But would that same approach spread across multiple other artists work across an entire album? Unfortunately, no—the Babymetal vibe simply doesn’t hold up when subjected to so many outside influences.
To begin with, none of the collaborations measure up to “Ratatata”—arguably the only collaboration that might allow fans to overlook the watered-down sound of
Metal Forth. The industrial pop-metal of “from me to u (feat. Poppy)” is solid, even if Poppy’s screaming is grating, but would have hit harder if Momo had handled those parts instead. “Song 3” featuring Slaughter to Prevail is decent but leans too heavily on a gimmick, prioritizing cleverness (for lack of a better word) over strong songwriting. Centering the entire track around the number 3 (a nod to Momo) is the kind of quirky concept Babymetal fans often embrace, especially when it spotlights one of the vocalists—but here, they pushed it too far. The constant counting becomes tedious, and the forced 3:33 runtime leaves the song feeling unfinished. An additional verse from Momo could have made a significant difference, but the self-imposed time constraint undercuts that potential.
The one consistent thread running through all the collaborations is, ironically, their inconsistency in sound, style, and quality. Each track feels more like “Artist X (feat. Babymetal)” rather than the other way around, which is a problem when it spans an entire studio album. On top of that, half the album had already been released before
Metal Forth even dropped, making it feel dated right out of the gate. That sense of staleness is even more glaring when you realize “Metali!!” is already two years old and “Ratatata” has been out for nearly a year and a half. Oddly, the most frustrating thing is that the three solo Babymetal tracks are fresh, catchy, and creatively ambitious. They explore new elements while staying true to the band’s core sound, proving that
Metal Forth could have been much stronger as a full album of original Babymetal material.
“KxAxWxAxIxI” is a standout blend of dark hip-hop, electronic elements, and metal, complete with quirky vocals, Momo’s growls, and a hooky chorus that feels like a clear spiritual successor to “BxMxCx.” Later, “Algorism” leans into the atmospheric, melodic metal style of
The Other One, but with a heavier edge and a breakdown punctuated by more of Momo’s growls. Rounding out the trio of proper Babymetal tracks is “White Flame,” arguably the strongest “Road of Resistance”-style closer the band has delivered since the original. Each of these songs explores a different facet of the Babymetal sound, and together they prove just how much stronger
Metal Forth could have been with more tracks like these.
It’s telling that the press release for
Metal Forth focuses entirely on the collaborations, not acknowledging the members of Babymetal until the obligatory “Babymetal Is:” blurb at the very end. In truth, though, it is fitting that the press release essentially frames the album as a compilation of guest appearances—Babymetal featuring on other artists’ tracks—rather than a cohesive Babymetal release; such is the significant loss of identity that permeates throughout this release. Still,
Metal Forth isn’t a bad album—it’s just deeply disappointing. It doesn’t feel like a new release, and more importantly, it doesn’t sound like a Babymetal album. Ironically, the three excellent original tracks only highlight what the rest of the album is missing. In the end,
Metal Forth’s biggest flaw is that Su, Moa, and Momo come across as guests on their own record.
